AP Literature and Composition Summer Assignment
Common Core Standards: RL 11-12.1-3, W 11-12.2
The Advanced Placement Literature and Composition course is a rigorous survey of some of the
world’s most brilliant authors, individuals who encapsulate the vicissitudes of the human
experience through their depictions of some of fiction’s most memorable characters. This course
is designed to expand your analytical and close-reading skills, improve your composition, and
open your eyes to new forms of expression. Hopefully, you will discover new writing that you
really enjoy in the process.
In anticipation of next year’s class, you will be reading two different novels this summer.
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The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Candide by Voltaire
We will be looking at these novels in terms of their literary merit. What counts as literary merit,
you ask? I’m not going to tell you. As you read, you should actively be seeking to answer that
very question: What is literature, really? To help you answer the question, you will have a writing
assignment on your summer novels. The prompt:
In a fully developed essay, argue for your personal definition of literary merit. This will be
your thesis. Then, compare how the two works that you read over the break qualify as
literature. This will be your evidence. Be sure to use specific examples from the novels to
illustrate their literary merit. The essay should be a minimum of four pages, double-spaced,
12pt. Times New Roman font with 1” margins. This is the standard format for all essays due.
Even though this is a personal argument, use a formal, objective voice.
The essay is due August 17th to Turnitin.com. This is before the first day of classes, so you will
need to register for my class on Turnitin.com over the summer. The class code will be located on
my website, which can be accessed at https://sites.google.com/site/bergenfieldaplit/. There are
also posted student essays from the previous year; I suggest taking a look at these so that you
have an idea of the expectations ahead.
You will also be assessed on your reading of all the novels when you begin class in the fall, so
read thoroughly and carefully. (I will be choosing assessments that Sparknotes won’t help you
with, so don’t bother.) Plan ahead and give yourself time to work through these works carefully.
We will be offering an optional week-long AP preparatory course in August, in which you will
have the opportunity to discuss the assignment. If you have never taken an AP class, this might be
particularly helpful for you. More information will be provided with you on this.
Finally, this year will really be emphasizing the importance of vocabulary. Having a large and
diverse repertoire of vocabulary is key to success on the SAT, the AP tests, and college and
career preparation. Attached is a list of basic vocabulary that you should already know coming
into this year. You will be assessed on this vocabulary list both at the beginning of and
throughout the year, so make sure you have memorized their meanings and how to use them.
If you have any questions at all, please contact me at the email address below. Enjoy the books,
and I look forward to teaching you all next year!
-Mr. Baldwin
hbaldwin@bergenfield.org
(Vocabulary Begins on Back)
Top 100 SAT Words
1. abbreviate -- (v) to shorten, abridge
2. abstinence -- (n) the act of refraining from pleasurable activity, e.g., eating or
drinking
3. adulation -- (n) high praise
4. adversity -- (n) misfortune, an unfavorable turn of events
5. aesthetic -- (adj) pertaining to beauty or the arts
6. amicable -- (adj) friendly, agreeable
7. anachronistic -- (adj) out-of-date, not attributed to the correct historical period
8. anecdote -- (n) short, usually funny account of an event
9. anonymous -- (adj) nameless, without a disclosed identity
10. antagonist -- (n) foe, opponent, adversary
11. arid -- (adj) extremely dry or deathly boring
12. assiduous -- (adj) persistent, hard-working
13. asylum -- (n) sanctuary, shelter, place of refuge
14. benevolent -- (adj) friendly and helpful
15. camaraderie -- (n) trust, sociability amongst friends
16. censure -- (v) to criticize harshly
17. circuitous -- (adj) indirect, taking the longest route
18. clairvoyant -- (adj) exceptionally insightful, able to foresee the future
19. collaborate -- (v) to cooperate, work together
20. compassion -- (n) sympathy, helpfulness or mercy
21. compromise -- (v) to settle a dispute by terms agreeable to both sides
22. condescending -- (adj) possessing an attitude of superiority, patronizing
23. conditional -- (adj) depending on a condition, e.g., in a contract
24. conformist -- (n) person who complies with accepted rules and customs
25. congregation -- (n) a crowd of people, an assembly
26. convergence -- (n) the state of separate elements joining or coming together
27. deleterious -- (adj) harmful, destructive, detrimental
28. demagogue -- (n) leader, rabble-rouser, usually appealing to emotion or
prejudice
29. digression -- (n) the act of turning aside, straying from the main point, esp. in a
speech or argument
30. diligent -- (adj) careful and hard-working
31. discredit -- (v) to harm the reputation of, dishonor or disgrace
32. disdain -- (v) to regard with scorn or contempt
33. divergent -- (adj) separating, moving in different directions from a particular
point
34. empathy -- (n) identification with the feelings of others
35. emulate -- (v) to imitate, follow an example
36. enervating -- (adj) weakening, tiring
37. enhance -- (v) to improve, bring to a greater level of intensity
38. ephemeral -- (adj) momentary, transient, fleeting
39. evanescent -- (adj) quickly fading, short-lived, esp. an image
40. exasperation -- (n) irritation, frustration
41. exemplary -- (adj) outstanding, an example to others
42. extenuating -- (adj) excusing, lessening the seriousness of guilt or crime, e.g.,
of mitigating factors
43. florid -- (adj) red-colored, flushed; gaudy, ornate
44. fortuitous -- (adj) happening by luck, fortunate
45. frugal -- (adj) thrifty, cheap
46. hackneyed -- (adj) cliched, worn out by overuse
47. haughty -- (adj) arrogant and condescending
48. hedonist -- (n) person who pursues pleasure as a goal
49. hypothesis -- (n) assumption, theory requiring proof
50. impetuous -- (adj) rash, impulsive, acting without thinking
51. impute -- (v) to attribute an action to particular person or group
52. incompatible -- (adj) opposed in nature, not able to live or work together
53. inconsequential -- (adj) unimportant, trivial
54. inevitable -- (adj) certain, unavoidable
55. integrity -- (n) decency, honesty, wholeness
56. intrepid -- (adj) fearless, adventurous
57. intuitive -- (adj) instinctive, untaught
58. jubilation -- (n) joy, celebration, exultation
59. lobbyist -- (n) person who seeks to influence political events
60. longevity -- (n) long life
61. mundane -- (adj) ordinary, commonplace
62. nonchalant -- (adj) calm, casual, seeming unexcited
63. novice -- (n) apprentice, beginner
64. opulent -- (adj) wealthy
65. orator -- (n) lecturer, speaker
66. ostentatious -- (adj) showy, displaying wealth
67. parched -- (adj) dried up, shriveled
68. perfidious -- (adj) faithless, disloyal, untrustworthy
69. precocious -- (adj) unusually advanced or talented at an early age
70. pretentious -- (adj) pretending to be important, intelligent or cultured
71. procrastinate -- (v) to unnecessarily delay, postpone, put off
72. prosaic -- (adj) relating to prose; dull, commonplace
73. prosperity -- (n) wealth or success
74. provocative -- (adj) tending to provoke a response, e.g., anger or disagreement
75. prudent -- (adj) careful, cautious
76. querulous -- (adj) complaining, irritable
77. rancorous -- (adj) bitter, hateful
78. reclusive -- (adj) preferring to live in isolation
79. reconciliation -- (n) the act of agreement after a quarrel, the resolution of a
dispute
80. renovation -- (n) repair, making something new again
81. resilient -- (adj) quick to recover, bounce back
82. restrained -- (adj) controlled, repressed, restricted
83. reverence -- (n) worship, profound respect
84. sagacity -- (n) wisdom
85. scrutinize -- (v) to observe carefully
86. spontaneity -- (n) impulsive action, unplanned events
87. spurious -- (adj) lacking authenticity, false
88. submissive -- (adj) tending to meekness, to submit to the will of others
89. substantiate -- (v) to verify, confirm, provide supporting evidence
90. subtle -- (adj) hard to detect or describe; perceptive
91. superficial -- (adj) shallow, lacking in depth
92. superfluous -- (adj) extra, more than enough, redundant
93. suppress -- (v) to end an activity, e.g., to prevent the dissemination of
information
94. surreptitious -- (adj) secret, stealthy
95. tactful -- (adj) considerate, skillful in acting to avoid offense to others
96. tenacious -- (adj) determined, keeping a firm grip on
97. transient -- (adj) temporary, short-lived, fleeting
98. venerable -- (adj) respected because of age
99. vindicate -- (v) to clear from blame or suspicion
100.
wary -- (adj) careful, cautious